Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases
Healthy behaviors for all - powered by science
Program support: Léonie Uijtdewilligen
Contact: aph.hbcd@amsterdamumc.nl
Mission and goals
Chronic (non-communicable) diseases -mainly diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer- account for the majority of total disease burden worldwide. These chronic diseases are largely preventable by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are shaped by a complex interplay of factors; conditions in which people are born, grow up, live, work, age and individual features. Promoting healthy behaviors requires multifactorial interventions in the complexity of real-life settings. Interventions should both address the environment and the individual, and therefore demands close collaboration between a broad range of disciplines.
The goal of the HB&CD research program is to create, disseminate and exchange knowledge on health-related behaviors and interventions. We focus particularly on the mechanisms shaping these behaviors, their impact on health, and health promotion strategies. In doing so, we aim to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and related functional limitations, and improve quality of life/wellbeing. In line with our motto: "healthy behaviors for all - powered by science", we prioritize groups with a high risk of developing chronic diseases across the life course, including lower socio-economic and ethnic minority groups.
Program Leaders
Research themes
The health behaviors covered within HB&CD include alcohol use, dietary behavior, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep and smoking. The chronic diseases covered within HB&CD include, but are not limited to, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our research centers around:
- the distribution of health behaviors across the population and changes over time;
- the determinants of health behaviors, including individual, environmental and genomic factors;
- the measurement of health behaviors;
- the impact of health behaviors on chronic diseases and functioning/quality of life/wellbeing;
- the development, implementation and evaluation of interventions promoting healthy behaviors.
There is a strong focus on maximizing the societal relevance of research, and to achieve this we closely collaborate with actors in the public health domain such as the Municipal Health Service in Amsterdam. We aim to apply a participatory approach, involving end-users in the development of interventions and research projects with a strong focus on potential for wider implementation.
Working groups
Various working groups are active within the HB&CD research program. Each of these working groups has a different focus, and a brief description of their main objectives is provided below.
Chronic disease epidemiology
This working group aims to harmonize and coordinate observational studies that investigate (lifestyle) risk factors of chronic diseases and disease burden, including methods of measurement. Their network stimulates knowledge exchange and debate about (methodological) questions, novel statistical approaches, and enhances collaborations across institutes.
Contact: Mirthe Muilwijk: m.muilwijk@amsterdamumc.nl
Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium
The Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium ( GECCO) is a Dutch infrastructure to support researchers to study the relation between environmental characteristics and health. In GECCO, fine-scale objectively measured social and physical environmental data are linked to individual-level data from more than 20 (longitudinal) cohort studies across the Netherlands. GECCO is coordinated by Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, and governed by a steering group with representatives of all the GECCO-affiliated institutes.
Contact: Jeroen Lakerveld: j.lakerveld@amsterdamumc.nl
Participatory research
This working group aims to create an overview of the range of currently used participatory research approaches and methods within HB&CD, and wishes to connect researchers for the promotion of knowledge- and experience exchange. Two main goals of the working group are; (1) starting-up a consensus project on terminology, and (2) working on guidelines for conducting and reporting participatory research.
Contact: Manou Anselma: m.anselma@amsterdamumc.nl
Systems thinking and public health
This working group aims to further build expertise on systems science in public health, which is currently limited, by fostering cooperation between HB&CD researchers on the theory and analytics of the systems science approach. All HB&CD researchers who have an interest in the systems science approach can participate.
Contact: Wilma Waterlander: w.waterlander@amsterdamumc.nl
Program council
The program leaders of the Health Behaviors & Chronic Disease research program chair the HB&CD Program Council. This program council consist of a selection of senior researchers of the research program who meet at least bi-annually to implement or update the research program-specific strategy and to discuss anticipatory or reactive response to external events.
Program council members | |
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Teatske Altenburg | Bas van den Putte |
Ingeborg Brouwer | Wilma Waterlander |
Joreintje Mackenbach |
Junior council
The Health Behaviors & Chronic Disease research program has installed a HB&CD Junior Council that provides program leaders with solicited and unsolicited advice and helps them with the organization of research program-specific activities or events.
Junior council members | |
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Heike Garritsen | Anne Vos |
Lena Sialino |
Research program members
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AC Huizink
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Adee J. Bodewes BSc PhD
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AHM Willemsen Prof.
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Amber Boots MSc
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Amber van der Heijden PhD
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Amika Singh DR.
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Angie C. Luna Pinzon MSc
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Anita C. J. Ravelli MEng PhD
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Anja de Kruif
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Annemarie M. Teitsma-Jansen
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Annemiek J. Linn
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Annemijn A. de Ruigh
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Annet Dallmeijer DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Anton Kunst Prof. PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Azadèh Farokhi
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Barbara A. Hutten MSc PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Ben P. van Nieuwenhuizen
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Bonnie Maria van Dongen
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Caitlin R. Dean
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Carline Wesdorp
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Charles Hayfron-Benjamin
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CM Renders
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Coosje Dijkstra
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Danielle Sent PhD
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Danique Heemskerk
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Emma van den Eynde MSc.
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Eric P. Moll Van Charante Prof. MD PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Erik J. A. J. Beune MSc PhD
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Erik van Spronsen
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Esmé Eggink MSc
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Eva L. van der Linden MD
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Evert Verhagen Professor, (Principal Investigator)
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Femke Rutters Assistant professor, Principal Investigator
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Femke van Nassau
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Femke van Nassau DRS.
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Fenna A. Ebbens PhD
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Fiona Hagenbeek
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Frank Jan Snoek PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Frederique Rongen
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Geesje Hofsteenge DR.IR.
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Giel Nijpels PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Han Kemper PROF.DR.
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Hanneke Wijnhoven
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HE Brandt
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Helga Emke
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Hidde van der Ploeg DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Hilde van der Aa
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Hiske W. Helleman MEng
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Huib F. van Waegeningh
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IHM Steenhuis
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Ilja Reinten MSc
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Ilse Reinders Dr.
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Ineke T. Spruijt
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Ingeborg Brouwer
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Irene G. M. van Valkengoed PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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J Halberstadt
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J. H. (Hans) de Vries Prof. PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Jacqueline Hugtenburg DR., (Principal Investigator)
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James Brown
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Jan W. P. F. Kardaun Prof. PhD
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Janneke Harting PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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JC Seidell
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JE Neter
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Jelmer van Schoonhoven MSc
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Jeroen Lakerveld DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Jesper Knoop
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JJ Hottenga
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JM van Dongen
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Joline Beulens PROF.DR.IR., (Principal Investigator)
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Joreintje Mackenbach DR.
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Jos Twisk PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Josine Stuber BSc.
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Karien Stronks Prof. PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Karin Swart DR.
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Karine J. van 't Land
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Karlijn A. C. Meeks
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Kristel M. van Asselt PhD
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Laura Schaap
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Laurien Buffart DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Lennard L. van Wanrooij
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Leonie K. Elsenburg PhD
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Liffert Vogt MD PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Linda Hengeveld
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Linda W. P. Dusseljee-Peute PhD
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Loes Crielaard MSc
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Lotte van Dammen
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Luca Valerio PhD
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M.A.E. -de van der Schueren DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Maartje van Stralen
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Mai Chinapaw PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Manon J. M. van Oosten MD MSc
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Maria Matias de Pinho PhD
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Marianna Mitratza
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Marieke P. Hoevenaar-Blom PhD
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Marieke Torensma MSc
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Marike van der Leeden DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Marjolein Visser PROF.DR.
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Marjon van Rijn PhD
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Marlijn Huitink
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Marloes E. Derksen MSc
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Martijn M. Stuiver PhD
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Martina Pontesilli
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Mary Nicolaou PhD
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Mathilde D. A. Karsten MEng
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MC Adriaanse
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Melanie Hafdi MD MSc
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Mirjam P. Fransen PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Mirte A. G. Kuipers PhD
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Mirthe Muilwijk MSc
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Mohamed E. Ahmed
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Monique Boymans PhD
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MR Olthof
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Nicholas C. Chesnaye PhD
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Nienke Weiss
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Noekie van Lieshout MSc
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Noor E. Simons MSc
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Outi Sirkka
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Patrick Brienesse MEng PhD
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Paula Sterkenburg
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Petra Elders PROF., (Principal Investigator)
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Qaisar Raza
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Rachel Vijlbrief
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Rebecca Painter MD PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Reinoud Gemke PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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René Pool
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Renee Bolijn MSc
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Rosa D. Wouda MSc
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Roxanne van Oeveren
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Sandra Kooij PROF.DR.
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Simon E. Lansbergen MSc
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Simon Geerse
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SM Rubinstein
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Stijn Hogervorst
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Susanne R. de Rooij PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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T Hoekstra
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Tanja Vrijkotte PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Teatske Altenburg DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Tessa J. Roseboom Prof. PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Tessa Jansen
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Tessa Klarenbeek
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Ties M. van Brussel
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Tom H. F. Broens PhD
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Vanessa C. Harris MD PhD
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W Kroeze
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Wahyu Septiono
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Wieger P. Voskuijl MD PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Willem van Mechelen PROF.DR., (Principal Investigator)
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Wilma Waterlander PhD
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Wouter A. Dreschler Prof. MEng PhD, (Principal Investigator)
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Xanthe de Voogd